Khor
[All art commissioned from J. Ang. Concept by Voltigeurs, ''Tales of Valor ''founder.) The khor, '''known colloquially as '''ice giants, are a race of mysterious, vaguely humanoid creatures who inhabit the tundras and northern territories of Sovidzel. Because they so rarely interacted with other races, they were long thought to be nothing but legend. However, in the years following the Sovido-Altian War, they have ventured into unfamiliar terrority and have become a relatively common sight in the cities of Styrnovic and Kystrov. B'iology' Little is known about the details of khor physiology. However, they seem to have an incredible resistance to the cold. Though they live in the tundras, they wear suprisingly light clothing. Inversely, they suffer in warmer climate; no khor has been seen travelling south of Acheime. The khor also appear to have advanced regenerative abilities and share the sa'edi's longevity. The khor are immensely powerful and are the tallest race in Cyrul; females can grow to be eight feet tall, and males can grow to be in excess of nine feet tall. They are deadly in close quarters; their armor-like skin gives them incredible protection against blunt strikes and may even help absorb smaller projectiles to protect internal organs from damage. All males have spurs on their elbows which are used as weapons in close quarters; some females are also born with these. Some khor have been observed using force magic, but the extent of their magical powers is unknown. Appearance The khor's "skin" has a metallic sheen to it and can be of several different colors: greys, browns, white, black, and any other cool or earthy colors. The most common skin pattern is a gradient of two or three colors, but a khor's skin can also be mottled, striped, or monochromatic. Eye color is much more limited. Eyes can be varying shades of green, blue, yellow, or silver. Males always have spurs on their elbows and legs; females, however, may be born without them. Females tend to be lighter and slimmer than the males which gives them a significant advantage in speed and agility, but at the cost of thinner natural armor. 'Culture' Social Dynamic The khor are a secretive race. They prefer to keep to their people (and, curiously enough, the ironbloods) and mature adults rarely visit outside cities if they're not on business. Teen-aged and young adult khor, however, are encouraged to go on a "pilgrimage" of sorts and explore the world outside of their clan territories. Despite their intimidating appearance, they have proven to be an honorable people. They are honest and straightforward in their dealings with other races and are known to help those in need. However, other races often have trouble reading a khor's subtle body language, which may lead to some misunderstandings. The khor are highly militaristic and are trained from a young age in the art of combat. Though there appears to be little in the way of class discrimination in their society, they are still highly heirarchical and abide by strict laws. Females and males are treated equally and are both expected to fight for their clan in times of war. The khor's focus on military prowess seeps into other parts of their lives, as well; they are often to the point, no-nonsense, and unfailingly loyal to their family and clan. Most khor follow the age-old tradition of tattooing clan markings on their skin. Tattoos are unique to each individual, but share unmistakable similarities to those of fellow clan members. Language Not much is known of the Khor language. However, ambassadors to the Khor have picked up some words: *''Nakhta'': (nak - TA) Mild explecitive: similar to "damn" *''Vurim: (VOO-reem) "Outsider" Religion 'History' The khor are loath to speak of their history. All that is known is that they are an ancient race; they are believed to have coexisted with the sa'edi when they were in their prime, which dates back to at least 5000 BPT. Primitive drawings and manuscripts from as early as 4000 BPT depict creatures which match the khor's description. The khor only revealed themselves to the rest of society towards the end of the Sovido-Altian War, when their homeland was in imminent danger of being occupied by hostile Altian forces. The khor assisted the Sovidic Resistance - and later the ironblood army - in reclaiming lost territory. However, after the Altian threat was successfully repelled, most khor soldiers returned to the tundras, never to be seen again. Their motives for assisting the Sovidic people in their war against Altia still remain unknown; historians argue that the Altian invasion posed only a slim threat to the khor's ancestral lands, as the Altians only sought to claim the resource-rich area surronding Styrnovic. 'Law and Leadership' Leadership The khor are a nomadic race. They are divided into clans, each which has its own part of the tundra staked in its name. From what little information ambassadors were able to gather, there are five main clans: Clan Kol, Clan Zakan, Clan Korik, Clan Ximas, and Clan Vikar. The clans do not appear to be hostile towards each other but do not interact often. It is unclear if the khor have any form of centralized government. According to khor ambassadors, however, clan leaders meet up once a year or whenever something arises which affects the race as a whole. Currently, General Xavik Kol'Zarasz is the closest thing to a "leader" that the khor have. Law 'Relations' 'Conspiracy Theories' The khor's mysterious past and otherwordly appearance have led to some interesting conspiracy theories. Some Cyrullians believe that the khor are actually dragons that evolved to be more humanoid (thus explaining their armor-like skin and stature, and the disappearance of traditional dragons), while others believe that they are not from Cyrul at all. 'Creation Tips' Naming Conventions Khor have three names: Their first (given) name, their clan name, and their family name. Khor names often start (and end, if male) with consonants and have a harsh sound. Female names may end in vowels and sound softer, though this is not necessarily the case. Khor names are formatted as follows: First Clan'Family Examples of Khor names are: Zali Kol'Taraka (F), Xavik Kol'Zarasz (M), Kirak Zakan'Xir (M) 'Visual References''' Sci-fi_Race_1v6.jpg|Khor - Full Reference Khorfull.png|Khor Male KhorFace.PNG|Khor Male - Headshot Category:Races Category:Sovidzel